Places to see in and around Louisiana

Spectacular sceneries, high rise buildings and stunning views give you a totally different perspective about comfort and elegance. All outdoor recreational destinations are just a stone’s throw from our luxurious hotel which includes fishing, boating, tennis, golf and many more to satiate every individual's likings. These are the hidden treasures in and around Louisiana. Major attractions are within walking distance as Holiday Inn Express LaPlace is in the very center of Louisiana site seeing will be convenient and easy.

Musée Conti Wax Museum

The comfortable and warm weather of Louisiana will make you want to stay here. Louisiana's beautiful bayous (canals), rivers and waterways are all waiting for you. Known as "The Big Easy" New Orleans the capital of "Dixieland" and home of Mardi Gras is a diamond set at the end of the Mississippi River’s crown as it spills out into the Gulf of Mexico. It stands unique in USA as the only city that strongly preserved its old world Spanish, French and African legacy.

Major Attractions

Louisiana State University

Louisiana State University houses many of Baton Rouge’s most popular tourist attractions. Louisiana State University football games are something that many football fans can’t miss. In addition, the university is home to a number of museums, including Louisiana State University Rural Life Museum, and the Louisiana State University Art Museum.

Another great museum is the Louisiana Art and Science Museum. This museum provides a variety of learning enrichment, including art exhibits, science exhibits, and exhibits including artifacts from ancient Egypt. Also housed here is the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, which is one of the best presentation theaters in the world. The planetary presentations shown here are lifelike and thrilling. Five-thousand square feet of educational and exciting exhibits are also located within the planetarium.

Louisiana State Capitol

The present state capitol building of Louisiana, located in Baton Rouge, will forever be entwined with the political career of Huey Pierce Long. It was Long's idea for the state to construct a new building for the statehouse in 1928 when he was running for Governor of the State of Louisiana. The construction of the building was part of his political platform, as well as the notion to place the state capitol on the site, which was once Louisiana State University and formerly a military post known as the Pentagon Barracks. Included was a strip of land on which the Arsenal Museum was located. Long had contracted with a New Orleans architectural firm, Weiss, Dreyfous and Seiferth, to design the building. Next, Governor Long had pushed through an amendment which financed the new capitol by the end of the 1930 Legislative Section. Within 36 days of the completion of the final design, actual construction by the George A. Fuller Company of Washington, D.C. had begun. The construction work took 29 months to complete and the dedication was coordinated with the inauguration of Oscar K. Allen as Governor on May 16, 1932. Ironically, Long was not present because he had been elected to the U.S. Senate and was in Washington, D.C.

The Louisiana Capitol, a 34-story, 450-foot Alabama limestone-clad skyscraper, is an excellent example of a greatly simplified classicism with Art Deco details that were in vogue for monumental buildings in the late 1920s. Only two other state capitols had been built with this design and its 34-story frame is to date unrivaled by any other building in Louisiana. The tower is decorated with important groups of sculpture representing the history of the State. Long was assassinated in the Capitol Building, the building for which he fought to be constructed and used as the state's government seat, and died on September 10, 1935. However, he was fittingly buried in the center of the public Capitol Gardens on the State Capitol's grounds. His memorial, a statue showing him holding a model of his monument, stands proudly in the English Garden in the shadow of the skyscraper that was part of his political platform for governor.

University of New Orleans

The University of New Orleans (UNO), a major urban university, provides essential support for the further development of the educational, economic, cultural, and social well being of the culturally rich and diverse New Orleans metropolitan area. Located in an international city, the university uniquely serves as an important link between Louisiana, the nation, and the world. The University's partnership approach strategically serves the needs of the region and builds on its success through mutually beneficial engagements with public and private bodies whose missions and goals are consistent with and supportive of the University's teaching, scholarly and community service missions. The University's technological and cultural partnerships connect the institution and its faculty and students to the community. Focused local partnerships with public schools, government, foundations, business and civic groups enrich opportunities for learning and creative discovery as well as help enhance the opportunities for career and community growth.

Baton Rouge River Center

The Baton Rouge River Center is a municipally owned multi-purpose 200,000 square feet (20,000 m²) entertainment facility located on the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge, the capital city of Louisiana.

It is maintained by a private management company, SMG, which presents more than five hundred events a year, including concerts, conventions, sporting events, trade shows and theater productions.

Attractions - New Orleans

Steamboat Natchez Riverboat Cruise

This is a great way to enjoy 3 attractions-in-one ... New Orleans food and music during a cruise down the Mississippi. Since this is a real steamboat, you'll hear the beautiful music of its calliope (a musical instrument powered by steam that is atop the steamboat) as you stroll through the French Quarter -- just follow the sounds to the river! Choose from a daytime cruise, or a dinner/jazz cruise featuring the Dukes of Dixieland.

Musée Conti Wax Museum

It's the best-kept secret in New Orleans. The Musée Conti Historical Wax Museum is Fun, Historical, Educational AND Entertaining... a must see in New Orleans! Founded in 1963, "The WAX" tells the fascinating story of New Orleans from her founding to the present day. Experience more than 300 years of History, Legend and Scandal with the 154 life-size figures displayed in historically accurate settings.

D-Day Museum

The National D-Day Museum's exhibits encompass the June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy, the Home Front during WWII, and the D-Day Invasions in the Pacific. Exhibit galleries incorporate text panels, artifacts, and Personal Account stations in which visitors may listen to the stories of WWII veterans and others who supported the war effort.

Harrah's Casino

In the heart of the world's most captivating and exhilarating city, you'll find the most thrilling gaming entertainment, 24/7. Voted "Best Casino" by the readers of "Casino Player", Harrah's is located just steps away from the French Quarter at the foot of Canal Street and the Mississippi River. This "world-class" casino offers over 2000 of the newest slots and over a hundred action-packed table games along with a 24 hour buffet, Besh Steakhouse and many other food options. Self-parking garage is free with 30 minutes of "tracked" play.

Cookin' Cajun Cooking School

A four-course meal is demonstrated by our excellent chefs Saundra and Corinne, who will entertain you as well as teach you the secrets of Creole and Cajun cooking. Of course you get to feast on the menu prepared that day.

Royal Carriages

Take a carriage ride while you're in New Orleans ... and enjoy a tour of the French Quarter (garden district tours available, too!) Quaint mule-drawn carriages take you past many landmarks of New Orleans, including Bourbon Street, the mighty Mississippi, and Jackson Square.

Louisiana Plantation Homes

Visitors to New Orleans enjoy touring our beautiful plantation homes located right outside the city.

Recommended tour:

A great way to see several of our most famous plantation homes is through Gray Line - their tour takes you down what is known as "river road" and includes a visit to the famous Oak Alley Plantation. Plantation Homes as featured in movies -- beautiful!

Things to do in LaPlace

Entertainment

Festivals

New Orleanians love to party all the time. Well, this is a city that dances in the street after a funeral!! So don't lose heart if you miss the big money draws Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. There are still plenty of festivals to go around, including Southern Decadence with the ultimate drag parade down Royal Street; the French Quarter Festival in April that attracts local and international bands as well as some of Jazz Fest's favorite food vendors; and the Creole Tomato Festival, a smaller affair, but just as delicious.

Music

A ton of musical history and a citywide penchant for "shakin' it" make New Orleans ground zero for catching great music all year long.

New Orleans is most famous for jazz. This is where the national art form was born. You can capture the various evolutionary forms of this African/European musical merger throughout the city. Modern Jazz buffs will enjoy the omnipresence of Ellis Marsalis, father of Wynton and Branford, as he appears in various combos at Snug Harbor on Frenchmen Street. For contemporary New Orleans style jazz, stick with acts such as Kermit Ruffins at Vaughn's, Nicholas Payton or Los Hombres Calientes at the Funky Butt on Rampart Street, and brass bands like The Dirty Dozen at Donna's, conveniently next door to the Funky Butt.

Wind things down with a visit to Kerry Irish Pub on Decatur Street. This spot preserves the integrity of Irish pub culture: quiet conversation, respect for local musicians and relaxed service.

Museums

Museums range from the nationally significant D-Day Museum and Confederate Museum to the more obscure Pharmacy Museum

Sightseeing

New Orleans has an extensive and dynamic history that can overwhelm the first time tourist, but there are many venues for visitors to successfully experience one of the most captivating places in the world.

Cabildo

Near Jackson Square Park, you can tour the Cabildo, where the official transfer of the Louisiana Purchase took place, and St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in the United States. Dine at Antoine's. To get a feel for 18th Century living, tour the Old Ursulines Convent and Madame John's Legacy, the city's oldest buildings.

Musee Conti Wax Museum

Visit the Musee Conti Wax Museum, then the Historic Voodoo Museum, and the Germaine Wells Mardi Gras Museum above Arnaud's Restaurant on Bienville. Mardi-Gras paraphernalia and memorabilia are also on display, along with an impressive jazz exhibition, at the Old U. S. Mint.

Magazine Street

Walk down Magazine Street and walk over to Julia Street, an area recently dubbed the Arts District in honor of the Contemporary Art Center, which honors local artists with exhibitions and performances. Dine at Casamento's. Two major museums in this area are the National D-Day Museum and the Confederate Museum. After browsing the eclectic shops and galleries along Magazine Street, walk a few blocks over to St. Charles Avenue and catch a ride on the famous New Orleans Streetcar. Sit back and enjoy the voyage along the most scenic avenue in the city in one of these ancient streetcars which are an integral part of the city's history.

Garden District

This is a gorgeous area of the city, lush with crepe myrtles, magnolia trees, and jasmine bushes. It is truly a stroller's paradise. There are also many small galleries in this area. Visit the Davis Gallery, the Cole Pratt Gallery and the Mario Villa Gallery. Dine at the Upperline Restaurant. Also check out the displays at The George & Leah McKenna Museum of African American Art.

New Orleans City Park

Louis Armstrong Park is the perfect place to spend a few hours. The St. Louis Cemetery Number Two is on Esplanade Avenue, just before New Orleans City Park. Grab a bite at Venezia. The Park is home to the New Orleans Museum of Art and the Botanical Gardens.

New Orleans has a long list of commercial tour packages that cover every conceivable angle of the city's historical highlights.